Chicken Wings

Mexican Lasagna

I made this on Monday for our neighbor dinner exchange, and Christine enjoyed the leftovers yesterday and asked for the recipe. It originally came from Annee's roommate Liz Markos. Sorry I don't have any pictures! You'll have to use your imagination.


Mexican Lasagna

1lb ground beef
1 17oz can whole kernel corn, drained
1c + 7 oz salsa
1 7oz can tomato sauce
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar & monterey jack cheese, mixed
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 16 oz carton cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp oregano
10 corn tortillas
can sliced black olives for garnish
crushed up tortilla chips for garnish

Brown meat & drain. Add corn, tomato sauce, salsa & taco mix. Simmer, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, & oregano. Line bottom of greased 13x9 inch baking dish with 5 tortillas, overlapping edges. Top with half of the meat mixture. Spoon cottage cheese mixture over meat. Arrange 5 tortillas over cheese mixture. Spread remaining meat mixture over all and top with shredded cheese. Sprinkle black sliced olives on top. (I also added crunched up tortilla chips.)

Bake @375 for 30 minutes or until cheese melts & casserole bubbles. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce, black olives (sliced) and additional salsa if desired. (I also added avocados.)

If life gives you lemons, make LEMON CHEESECAKE BARS

We made these today and they are yummy!

Lemon Cheesecake Bars

for the crust:

8 graham crackers (each 2 1/2 by 5 inches)

2 tbsp. sugar

4 tbsp. butter, melted

for the filling:

2 bars (8 oz. each) cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

2 large eggs

finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon (2-3 tsp. zest & 3 tbsp. juice)

1. Make the crust. Pre-heat oven to 325. Line bottom and sides of an 8" square bake pan with aluminum foil, leaving an overhang on all sides. Crimp overhang under rim of pan.

2. Crush crackers and mix with sugar, add melted butter until moistened.

3. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and pat gently. Bake until beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. While crust is baking, make filling.

4.Make the filling: mix cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, zest and juice; blend until smooth.

5. Pour mixture onto hot crust in pan; smooth top. Return to oven, and bake until set, 30-35 minutes.

6. Cool completely in pan. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; chill until firm. Use foil overhang to pull cheesecake from pan. With spatula remove from foil and cut into bars.

Carrot Cupcakes

Here is my favorite recipe for Carrot Cake. These are so delicious -- sweet, moist and flavorful. The cream cheese frosting puts it over the edge! I puree the carrots very finely so they are not crunchy or overwhelming in the cupcake. I promise even non-carrot-cake-lovers will like this recipe!! (If you can get them to try it...)

Ingredients

Makes 2 eight-inch layers or 24 cupcakes

• Butter, for pans
• 4 medium carrots
• 1 cup golden raisins (I omit)
• 1 cup walnut pieces (I grind them very small so non-nut people won't notice)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 eight-by-two-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; butter, and dust with flour. (Or line cupcake pan with cupcake liners)
2. Grate carrots in food processor; measure 2 cups, and transfer to medium bowl. Allow to sit in the bowl for 10 minutes while you work. Drain the excess juice off the carrots, pressing against the colander to ensure all the excess moisture is gone.
3. Add raisins, walnuts, applesauce, and lemon juice and zest to carrots.
4. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. Gradually add in oil and eggs; process until smooth, scraping sides. Add carrot mixture; pulse.
5. Pour into pans; bake cake for about 40 minutes, until tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes for 16-20 minutes.

Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

• 2 sticks cream cheese (16 oz)
• 1 stick butter
• 1.5 t vanilla
• approx 5 cups powdered sugar

**This recipe makes more than enough to frost the cupcakes, just enough for the cake. Consider reducing if making the cupcakes.

Cauliflower Soup

In an effort to try to include more (and different) vegetables in my diet, I tried various cauliflower soup recipes. I have settled on this one as my favorite. Although it's not QUITE as good as the Wisconsin Cauliflower soup at Zupus, I'm hoping it's a nutritional superior since it has less cheese.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons butter 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced (maybe a little less) 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 2 carrots, chopped 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 1 head cauliflower, chopped

1 cup milk 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon dry sherry

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and carrots and cook 5 minutes more. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cauliflower, cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
2.	Puree in batches in a blender or food processor, or in the pot using an immersion blender. Return to low heat and stir in milk, salt, pepper, nutmeg and sherry. Heat through. Add cheese to taste.

After the final heat through I let the soup sit for a bit to thicken before eating. Then I add a little cheese and peas to my portion - but I add peas to ALMOST everything :-) The final product has an orange tint from the carrots but they don't overpower the taste.

Enjoy!

Wild Rice Pilaf

2 C low-sodium Chicken broth

2 bay leaves

8 sprigs thyme

1 C wild rice, rinsed and drained

3 Tbs unsalted butter

2 carrots, peeled and chopped fine

1 Onion, minced

Salt

1 1/2 C long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained

2 1/4 C water

3/4 C dried cranberries

3/4 C pecans, toasted and chopped coarse

2 Tbs minced fresh parsley

Pepper

1. bring broth, bay leaves, and 4 sprigs of the thyme to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the drained wild rice and return to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the wild rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid, 35-40 minutes. Drain the rice and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Return the wild rice to the pot and cover to keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and 1 1/2 Tsp salt. Cook until the veggies are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the drained white rice. Cook until the edges begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the water, cranberries, and remaining 4 thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 17 minutes. Transfer the pot to a cold burner or trivet and let the rice stand for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and discard the thyme sprigs.

3. Combine the cooked wild rice and white rice, toasted pecans, and parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I typically don't put much effort into side dishes, because I don't have time for sides and a main dish with all my little ankle biting helpers. But when all I had to do was squirt a little EVOO and lemon onto some salmon, I decided to break open the cook book and this is what I found. It is from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook (which Jimmy gave me for my birthday and I'm loving). I had to do a little altering with just the ingredients I had on hand, and I thought it still turned out yummy! (of course most meals do on fast Sunday...) So I used a box of Uncle Ben's wild rice and cooked the rice to the box directions (without the seasoning), and used ground thyme and omitted the pecans...

Buttermilk Breakfast

Rachel Zackrison's buttermilk waffle recipe has become a hit at our home. They can be made into waffles or pancakes.
2 c. flour

2 T. sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. milk

2 eggs

1/4 c. butter, melted (i think they're a bit greasy, so I cut back a smidgen on the butter here)

Combine the dry ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir together until moist. It'll still be thick and a little lumpy. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes giving the buttermilk and baking soda time to mix and react. It'll be a little bubbly and frothy when the time is up.

A delicious syrup to top 'em is:
1 c sugar

½ buttermilk

¼ c butter

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

Heat sugar, buttermilk, and butter to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and baking soda (it will foam up then calm down). Stir well.

But on Saturday, we all had our choice of toppings, as we are working on cleaning out the fridge before we move next week. Daddy prefers good ol' maple, James loves the buttermilk and Sissy is a girl after my own heart: strawberries 'n whipped cream. Anna takes what she can get and gobbles it down. Yummm.

Oatmeal pancakes

My kids devour these pancakes and I love how healthy they are.

4 egg whites
3 T oil
3 c. buttermilk
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 T baking powder
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. oats

#1 Beat egg whites in mixing bowl
#2 mix in oil and buttermilk
#3 add next four dry ingredients
#4 stir in oatmeal in the end - I use a hand mixer to do all the mixing
#5 bake on hot griddle *oats seem to sink to bottom of batter so I scoop deep in mixing bowl when ladling out batter onto griddle.

Thai Chicken Pizza

Our family loves this pizza. I have to give my sister Tricia credit for the recipe. Just a few notes: I usually buy the double package of Boboli pizza crusts from Costco and use them. Also, go easy on the peanut sauce. It's kind of spicy.

14-16 in. Pizza crust, pre-baked
Peanut Sauce (in oriental food section)
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 C. cilantro, chopped
1 small carrot, grated
1 C. snow peas, thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
shredded mozzarella cheese
Toss vegetables and cilantro with sesame oil, salt, and pepper. Spread peanut sauce (approx. 1/4 C.) onto pre-baked pizza crust. Spread chicken on peanut sauce, veggies over the chicken, then top with mozzarella cheese. Bake 500 degrees 5-7 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Triple Berry Shortcakes

My appreciative taste testers.
Ingredients:
dessert cups
strawberry glaze
strawberries & blueberries
whipped cream
topped with a blackberry

We Have Been Released from SPAM Prison

Hormel Foods first produced SPAM luncheon meat in 1937 in Austin, Minnesota.
The ingredients of SPAM:
* chopped pork shoulder meat with ham meat added
* salt (for binding, flavor, and firmness)
* water (to help in mixing)
* sugar (for flavor)
* sodium nitrite (for color and as a preservative)

And here are some other interesting SPAM-related facts to consider:
* In the United States, 3.8 cans of SPAM are consumed every second.
* Hawaiians eat an average of four cans of SPAM per person per year (this is the highest SPAM consumption rate per capita in the world).
* Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia eats a SPAM and mayonnaise sandwich three times a week.
* Nikita Krushchev credited SPAM with the survival of the WW2 Russian army. Quoting Krushchev: "Without SPAM, we wouldn't have been able to feed our army."

SPAM Cupcakes

Created by Estelle Schmidt, National "Best SPAM Recipe" Competition 2000 Grand Prize Winner.

Ingredients:
For cupcakes:
* 2 (12-ounce) cans of SPAM
* 3 eggs, slightly beaten
* 2/3 cup quick cooking oatmeal
* 3/4 cup milk
For glaze:
* 1/3 cup brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
* 2 tablespoons white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon water
For topping:
* 4 cups prepared instant mashed potatoes
* Fresh chives or parsley (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 F.
1. Prepare cupcakes: grate SPAM into a large bowl.
2. Add eggs, oatmeal and milk; mix well.
3. Lightly spray a regular size muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Fill each muffin tin two-thirds full with SPAM mixture.
5. Prepare glaze: combine all glaze ingredients in a small bowl.
6. Heat 20-30 seconds in microwave until sugar is melted.
7. Lightly spoon glaze mixture over SPAM.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until mixture is set.
9. Meanwhile, for topping: prepare 4 cups of instant mashed potatoes.
10. Remove cupcakes from oven and top each serving with instant potatoes.
11. Heat broiler.Return muffin tin to oven. Broil 1-2 minutes or until potatoes are lightly browned.
12. If desired, garnish with fresh chives or parsley.
Makes 12 servings.

Asparagus Soup

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups diced and peeled red pototaoes
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup "lite" coconut milk
2 cups 1/2 inch pieces trimmed asparagus
Ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 chopped green onions
Melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion and 1/4 tsp. of salt, stirring often, until golden. Stir in curry powder, ginger, lemon zest and potatoes, stir, and simmer about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, coconut milk and aparagus. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, partially cover and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Puree the soup in a blender (in batches) until smooth. Season with remaining salt and pepper.
Whisk sour cream, lemon juice and green onions in a small bowl and garnish with a swirl of it.

Piña Colada Recipe

I just bought this juice Dole Juice - Chilled Juices - Piña Colada last night and mixed it with Coffee Mate Coconut Creme, a banana, frozen strawberries and ice. It made delicious smoothies! I guess this is a new addition to the Dole Juices.

Janie's Berrylicious Pies

Very Berry Pie
1 bag (16 ozs) frozen boysenberries
1 bag (8 ozs) frozen blueberries
1 bag (8 ozs) frozen raspberries
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cornstarch
Pastry for two 2-crust pies
Thaw all berries; pour berries and all juice in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, mix sugar, salt, and cornstarch; pour on top of berries. Mix well with rubber spatula. Fill crusts, add top crusts, and bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 pies.